CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE TRUTH.
" Our eyes fighting the light, but i'm not ready to say good night. "
____
ARABELLE.
Another baby? A twin sister?.
"What? And you've known this all along?!." I ask abruptly and Maryse looks at her tangled hands.
"I've known this since i adopted you, Belle...." She replies and i gulp down.
"What happened to her?." I say straightforward. Maryse looks at me in the eyes.
"She was adopted a couple of months later after the accident." She starts and i hum, encouraging her to keep going. "She was adopted by the Whittle family, i didn't want to tell you anything because they were friends with-."
Whittle. Anastasia Whittle.
"Valentine." I say after everything clicks. She looks at me confused, cocking an eyebrow. "My sisters name...was it Anastasia?." I ask slowly and worried, Maryse looks at me surprised and even more confused.
"Yes, it was indeed Anastasia. But how do you know that?." Maryse says taking my hands in between her cold ones, i look around.
"While i was out – Unconscious – I saw this dream, or at least that's what i thought it was, in my head there was this name 'Anastasia Whittle' and i saw everything like through her eyes–." I stop and look at Maryse who surprisingly enough doesn't look shocked. "I saw a women and a man, and then Valentine and Jocelyn – They didn't have the Circle runes." I inform her, she sighs, looking at the pale walls. "Do you know more about this than you initially intended to seem?." I ask, leaning closer.
She nods slowly. "When you were little-." She smiles. "You would have this dreams, or visions or sometimes talk to someone through the mirror – I always thought it was cute, that you talked to yourself in a mirror." She stifles a laugh. "But the truth was horrifying, you used the mirror to communicate with her – With Anastasia." She explains, i don't understand why would she think that the fact that i talked to my twin sister was horrifying. "You saw each other's life through each other's eyes, and i found out about it soon enough, i took you to Magnus – Of course – And made him put a spell on you, so you couldn't talk or see her anymore, nor would you remember any of the previous talks or visions."
"You basically took every memory i had of my sister." I mutter more to myself.
"Why?!." I shout. "Why would you go through so much trouble just to keep me away from my family?!."
Maryse shakes her head. "I'm glad i did, Belle. You're safe now because of it, although it seems that those visions that were wiped are coming back." She replies and i look at her in disbelief. "That family, The Whittle family, became part of the Circle – Anastasia is bad, Belle. She is following her parents steps, and i think she was the way they got to you today." She tells me and my mouth is slightly open.
"I- Why would she try to hurt me?." I ask, even when i don't remember her – Her betrayal hurts me.
Maryse cups my cheek with her hands. "Because she is part of the Circle, and she doesn't care about you, Belle. Not every family loves it's members." She explains and i close my eyes briefly.
This is too much, too much for one day – Too much for a lifetime.
"Do you need time to–."
"Yes i do, mother." I reply immediately. "I need to breath, i need to think..."
Maryse slowly nods. "I understand, Belle. If you need anything, just tell me." She stands up and starts walking towards the door.
I clear my throat. "Actually, mom. I do need something."
She turns to me and gives me a back smile. "What is it?."
"Can you call Jace and tell him to come see me?." I ask sweetly and Maryse stiffens up.
"I'm afraid he is on a mission, but as soon as he comes back i will inform him." She replies, and i nod.
"Thanks."
She walks out and i'm left alone – With so much to think about. Could my twin sister really be capable of hurting me? Of course, silly, she doesn't even know who you are.
"Fuck." I groan laying on my side, my hands tucked behind the very uncomfortable pillow. This is all so confusing and nerve wracking, so many problems to be fixed in so little time – and here i am, one of their best Shadowhunters, laying on a hospital bed. How incredibly ridiculous.
Anastasia Whittle. My twin sister – And possible evil twin sister –. And i think, what if she was the one to leave that note in my bedroom - the one to make me feel like i was burning on the inside.
I shake my head as this one starts to ache, too much thinking probably. Too much of everything really.
I need Jace, i need to talk to him. I gulp down and i very silently walk outside the nursery room, just a few steps more and i'll be down the hall and i could very easily run up to my bedroom and then think of a way of finding out what sort of mission Jace is on.
I take a few steps, and look around so i can assure that there's no one in sight. As soon as i notice that there's no one indeed, i quicken my pace and just when i was about to reach the main Institute room i collide into someone.
"Ouch!." She yelps, she is blonde, big bright green eyes and she looks young. I bite my inner cheek. "You! Watch were you are - Aren't you Arabelle Lightwood?." She asks, crossing her arms over her chest, i chuckle lightly.
"Maybe...."
She rolls her eyes. "Go back to nursery, Maryse gave strict instructions."
I cock an eyebrow. "May i ask who the hell are you?." I say a little harshly, she smiles sarcastically.
"The new head of the Institute, Ms. Lightwood. Now you shall follow my orders, and i order–."
I roll my eyes. "Yes, yes go back to the freaking nursery." I babble and go back to the nursery room – I turn my back hoping she is gone, but she is still looking at me with the same stern expression. "Bitch." I mutter under my breath.
I enter the same room with a weird smell and pale walls. "Crap."
Why do i feel so freaking useless? I used to be so helpful and now i can't even manage to get rid of an annoying, headless blonde.
Oh how tables have turned.
-
JACE.
"I got the cup." Clary says, holding the Mortal Cup in her hands, a wince/grin framing her face. I would be lying if i said that i wasn't grateful that she had found the cup, but i wasn't focused on the mission anymore.
"I don't care about the cup." I reply, we are standing in the middle of the Institute, and she is facing me.
"I guess it just kind of looks like a glass of wine." She shrugs, eyeing me, i give her a funny look.
"A glass of wine that saved your ass." I tell her and she chuckles, after all the whole awkwardness between us has faded away.
"That rhymed." She grins. I turn around, Alec is looking at the monitor - As always, looking for more threats. "Are there any other rules of Shadowhunting that i should learn?." I hear Clary ask, but i'm already standing next to Alec.
"Alec, there's no point of standing there and just stare at the monitor, they need angel blood to get past the wards." I tell him and he frowns.
"The person who hurt Arabelle was very much capable of getting through them." He replies and i gulp down - my mood changing.
"And we'll find whoever hurt her, i promise." I lay my hand on his shoulder, his jaw clenches before nodding. "There's nothing i wouldn't do for her, you know that."
"So is it official? Jarabelle is real?." Isabelle teases with a smirk, and i can't help but grin.
"Something like that." I reply and Isabelle scoffs, i clear my throat. "What erm- what are we going to do about the cup?." I change the subject and i feel Clary's curious eyes on me.
"We need to give it back to the Clave." Alec says, crossing his arms over his chest.
"What?." Clary asks, obviously not agreeing. "We can't do that, not after everything we went through to get it."
"My brother is right." Isabelle says and Alec stares at her.
"Are you agreeing with me?." He asks in disbelief, Isabelle shrugs lightly.
"I'm full of surprises." She smiles softly.
Clary's eyes dart at me. "This cup is the only chance i have of getting my mom back."
I bite my lip, before clicking my tongue. "I agree with Clary."
"Why am i not surprised?."
Arabelle walks into our small circle, and a worried look takes over my face. She shouldn't not be out of bed! Is she crazy?. By the look of Alec, i could tell he was thinking the same thing as me.
Despite the fact that she had been attacked, she still managed to look so...Impecable. The aftermath of the spell was still there, on the bags under her eyes and the redness of her face - And she didn't look as interesed as always.
"You shouldn't be out of the nursery!." Alec scolds her, walking over her and she rolls her eyes.
"Come on, i'm fine!." She smiles, and she looks at me. "Someone didn't bring me my laptop though.." She teases and i roll my eyes playfully.
"Yeah we were busy getting the Cup." Clary interfires and Arabelle's lips form into an 'O'.
"You finally got that thing? Thank the Angel." She teases playfully and Clary frowns.
"I think you should go back to bed." I walk over Arabelle, and i wrap my arm around her shoulders, she rolls her eyes once again.
"It's boring." She tells me and i grin before kissing her forehead, it feels so surreal. "Besides seems like you are all having such a nice and fuzzy discussion about the cup, far more entertaining that any sitcom i could watch in bed."
Isabelle chuckles. "Your sarcasm has been so needed, Jace just copies your catch phrases all day long." She teases and I click my tongue, Arabelle smacks my chest.
"Boo you, be original." She scolds me. "So what's the next mission?."
"There are no missions for you, young lady. I gave strict instructions about you being on nursery." The stern voice of Maryse comes from behind us, she is looking at us like we are disgusting — Like a demon itself is standing on this very same room.
Arabelle rolls her eyes once again. "I'm fine, i don't want to be on that bed again." She spits back, Maryse crosses her arms over her chest.
"Whoever tried to hurt you is still out there–."
"Why don't you tell them who you think hurt me?." Arabelle raises an eyebrow acting sarcastic, what is she talking about?. "Have you lied to them too?."
"Mom, what is she talking about?." Alec interferes, taking a step closer — Making our circle tighter, Maryse's jaw clenches and she looks at the ground.
"Who do you think hurt her?." I ask, tightening my grip around Arabelle's shoulders, Maryse looks away from us.
"Arabelle..." She warns and Arabelle sighs.
"Tell them, they deserve to know."
A silence overcomes the room, before Maryse looks at the ground.
"Arabelle has a twin sister, that's who we thought hurt her." She finally lets out, nobody moves – we just stand there expressionless. There's another girl that looks exactly like Arabelle?, and she hurt her?.
I frown. "Wait – how long have you known this for?." I ask confused. We needed answers more than ever.
Maryse licks her lips. "A few years after we adopted Arabelle, it started with the visions."
"Visions?." Isabelle asks, looking at Arabelle before looking back at her mother.
Maryse lightly nods. "Arabelle and her sister – Anastasia – they communicated each other through their eyes, they could see each other's lives."
"You never said anything about visions." Alec says to Arabelle, and we all look at her. Arabelle looks at her mother.
"That's because our dear mother made Magnus erase all of the visions and memories i had of my s-sister." She croaks out.
"Well apparently shadowhunter mothers have a bad habit of doing that to their daughters." Clary comments and Arabelle grins.
"That's the second thing you've said that i can agree with." Arabelle replies.
I have a lot of thoughts in my mind, but i couldn't find the right way to get them out.
"So at least we have two suspects now." Alec states. "Valentine and Anastasia, although i don't see how Anastasia is a danger to Arabelle." He says and i nod.
"Because Anastasia was adopted by the Whittle family, they were close friends with Jocelyn and Valentine –."
Clary looks at Arabelle, in confusion and with her eyebrows furrowed.
"They became part of the Circle, and now Anastasia is part of it too, it makes sense that Valentine would use her connection with me to – hurt me." Arabelle says and bites her bottom lip. "But why would they do that? They want the cup and i didn't know where it was."
"But we have it now." I tell her, caressing her shoulder. "It's safe and so are you."
"Even more reason for us to keep the cup." Clary states. "They have Arabelle's twin sister, and she willingly chose to hurt her, what makes you think they wouldn't do it again?."
"So now we need to find Anastasia Whittle." Alec says, looking at me and i nod.
"And wherever she is, the Circle is too." Isabelle states.
"Regardless, the cup needs to be handed to the Clave." Maryse interferes.
"We will talk about that later, now our top priority is to find Anastasia." I state sternly, and i look at Arabelle, she is looking straight at the ground – her lips are chapped, she doesn't look good.
"We can use your connection to find her." I say and she looks up to me, she gulps down before nodding.
"We need to talk to Magnus, we can find clues on Arabelle's memories." Alec suggests, Clary huffs.
"It's gonna be the same thing that happened with mine!."
Arabelle shakes her head. "No, because yours were your memories – This is a twin connection, not so different from a Parabatai bond." She replies. "But she will know if i get the visions back, she is gonna feel it."
"So we need to work fast." I tell her, i kiss the top of her head. "We are gonna find Anastasia Whittle."
____
AHHHHH